Suspended judge sent to police custody in bribery

Hyderabad: A special court in Andhra Pradesh Friday sent suspended judge T Pattabhirama Rao to police custody for two days in connection with the cash-for-bail bribery scandal involving former Karanataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy.

The principal court for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) directed the bureau to question the suspended judge between 11 a.m and 5 p.m. and conduct a medical examination after that as he had complained of ill-health. He would be sent back to Cherlapally jail after the questioning.

The ACB, which had sought Pattabhirama Rao`s custody for three days, wants to confront him with his son Ravichandra, who is in the agency`s custody in the same case.

The court had earlier sent Ravichandra and retired district judge T.V. Chalapathi Rao to ACB custody. They were accused of receiving Rs.2.74 crore from the relatives of Janardhana Reddy May 12, a day after he was granted bail in an illegal mining case.

ACB counsel said Pattabhirama Rao`s custody was crucial to proceed with the investigations since he was the end beneficiary of the scam and had knowledge about the linkages between all the accused.

Besides Pattabhirama Rao, his son and Chalapathi Rao, the ACB has also arrested Yadgiri, who has a criminal record, from Hyderabad.

The agency on June 9 had booked eight people in the case. The others include Janardhana Reddy`s brother Somasekhara Reddy and Suresh Babu, both legislators from Karnataka, as well as their relative Dasarathrami Reddy.
The accused were booked for corruption, cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Andhra Pradesh high court transferred the case to ACB after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found that Pattabhirama Rao received huge bribe to grant bail to Janardhana Reddy.

Then chief justice of the high court Madan B. Lokur had May 31 suspended Pattabhirama Rao, the first additional CBI judge.
The judge on May 11 had granted bail to Janardhana Reddy. The orders were struck down by the high court earlier this month.

Janardhana Reddy is currently lodged in Bangalore jail as he is standing trial in another mining case in Karnataka.